Look of the Week: Nina Dobrev’s Wine-Colored Lip

We’re constantly updating our Last Night’s Look gallery with all the best red-carpet moments (gorgeous dresses! dazzling accessories! sky-high heels!). Now, let’s talk beauty. Each week, we’ll be highlighting one of the most gorgeous makeup and/or hair moments, along with details on how to recreate the look — straight from the makeup artist or hairstylist — in our feature, Look of the Week.

We’ve already shared the benefits of wearing a bold lip this season, but just in case you needed another reason to jump on the dark pout train, take a peek at Nina Dobrev’s gorgeous wine-colored stain she sported at the 22nd annual Elle Women in Hollywood Awards in L.A. To find out the exact lip shade, plus details on the rest of the actress’ look, we reached out to celebrity makeup artist Monika Blunder.

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“I really wanted to do a fall look, and I just felt it worked out perfectly with her [nude Calvin Klein Collection] dress — it was so soft and simple and pretty,” she tells PeopleStyle exclusively on why she opted for a darker lip for the star. “[Her dress] just screamed for something bold.”

And because Dobrev had her mind set on a super-high topknot, Blunder knew the dark lip would create a dramatic pop of color to the cream-colored ensemble.

“Having [her] hair up did look great here, and this look can really go well with the hair down, too,” she says. “It’s just about balance. With a bold lip or eye, the rest of your hair/makeup should be a little more simple and sleek.”

So how’d she nail Nina’s bold lip look? In two easy steps, she says. First she applied Tom Ford Lipstick in Bruised Plum straight from the bullet to the star’s lips, and then cleaned up the edges and defined Dobrev’s lip shape with a liner in a similar shade (Chanel’s Precision Lip Definer in Vamp).

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To complement the bold lip, Blunder gave the star’s complexion a subtle glow with the help of Hourglass’ Ambient Lighting Palette — a beauty tool the pro refers to as a non-traditional highlighter.

The makeup pro mixed two shades from the palette together — Incandescent and Radiant — and applied the shimmery powdered formula to Dobrev’s upper cheekbones and lightly dusted underneath her eyes.

“It can be used under the eyes, around where I applied it, or at the very top of the cheeks,” she tells PeopleStyle. “I used this palette instead of a highlighter because I’m getting a little bored of the over-highlighting trend. I really like a more muted, taupe-y glow. I just think it’s subtle and chic, not too much shimmer.”

Once Blunder was finished, she showed the look to the star, who “loved” the look, she says.

“[Nina] was super happy with [the look], and she thought the lip color was a great choice,” she tells PeopleStyle. “This was actually my first time working with her — it was a lot of fun. She’s beautiful, of course, and so sweet!”

What do you think of Nina’s look? Are you ready to try a dark lip for fall? Share below!

–Sarah Kinonen
Follow @sarahkinonen

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